GENERAL 

This story has been tumbling in my head for a long time. As most of my friends and regular readers of my Swaragini fanfiction would be aware, I hated the way the serial was shown after Ragini was exposed. It was such a wonderful opportunity to give Ragini a chance at redemption, as they intended to continue her as the female lead for Laksh. But then, unfortunately, the plot got sacrificed at the altar of melodrama. Even now, years after those ghastly episodes, thinking about them makes me shudder.

I had a different idea as to how Ragini could be redeemed, which never happened. But since I started writing, this story has been trying to be heard and I finally find the courage to pen it out. Initially I intended it to be only a single stand alone novella for Ragini, but as I started writing the notes and the draft plot lines, I felt that I could actually write out for all the four of them. Thus was born the Perception Series:

✺1. Hiraeth - Ragini's Redemption

✺ 2. Serendipity - Sanskaar's Sufferance 

✺3. Heimat - Swara's Salvation

✺4. Zemblanity - Laksh's Realisation

I had to think a lot before finalising the names, but it was worth all the time spent and with a little search the meanings would be apparent to you. Well, I will spare you the trouble; Hiraeth and Heimat, though in different languages are sort of antonyms, while Hiraeth (Welsh) is homesickness, a longing for a place you can never go back to, Heimat (German) translates to home or homeland. Serendipity is a word most readers would be aware of and Zemblanity is a word coined to mean its exact opposite. I guess the names are suitable, though I would love to know your thoughts.

Each novella will follow the main protagonist's life from the point in the serial when Ragini's truth comes out and Swara leaves with her family. The timelines would be partly overlapping (as the starting point is the same, Ragini's exposé; and mostly consecutive, extending a bit in each of successive novellas with all arcs wrapping up in Zemblanity. And yes, all would have their happy endings.

While I do hope to write them all out as novellas, I have also learnt over the past two years that the stories take a life of their own and often I am unable to stick to the length I plan out at the beginning. Further, at times, the stories also dictate their own pace and at other times, I am caught up in life as it happens. In spite of all that, if you, my dear reader, decide to give this story and the series a chance, I am grateful to you. 

DISCLAIMER:

This is a fictional story and though the names of the main characters are from the Swaragini serial, the characterisation, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of my imagination or, in rare cases, actual events used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

There are certain medical instances mentioned in the story; the factual accuracy might not be proven but the same are medically plausible.

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COVER CREDITS:

Base pictures downloaded from the net/pixabay.com, overlays from Adobe Photoshop.

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COPYRIGHT:

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